IntroIt’s been nothing but mediocrity for North Carolina as of late, as the Tar Heels are 13-13 over the past two seasons. But heading into Larry Fedora’s fourth year in Chapel Hill in 2015, there is hope that the Tar Heels can finally break through that mediocrity and become contenders in a wide-open ACC Coastal Division.

OffenseOne of the biggest reasons for hope in 2015 is the return of senior quarterback Marquise Williams, who was quietly one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC last year. In 2014, Williams threw for over 3,000 yards, ran for over 700 yards, and was responsible for 35 touchdowns. With a repeat performance in 2015, Williams may be the best quarterback in the ACC, especially with the return of his top four receivers from last year. The quartet of Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard, Quinshad Davis and Mack Hollins all bring back experience and playmaking ability, as all four had at least 450 yards receiving last season.

The Tar Heels also bring back an experienced contingent of running backs, led by junior T.J. Logan, who rushed for 582 yards in 2014. North Carolina should benefit even more from the return of all five starters along the offensive line. Led by senior Landon Turner, UNC’s five offensive linemen have a combined 101 career starts, giving that unit a wealth of experience.

DefenseOn the defensive side of the ball, North Carolina was one of the worst teams in the country last year, but there is some hope for improvement with the return of seven starters in 2015. Along the defensive line, senior Justin Thomason will be the leader of the group, while Dajuan Drennon and Nazair Jones should be frequent contributors after both had a promising freshman season in 2014.

Senior Jeff Schoettmer will be key at middle linebacker after being the team’s second-leading tackler last year, especially with a lack of experience elsewhere at that position. In the secondary, Brian Walker may be one of the top cornerbacks in the ACC this year, while Des Lawrence gives the Tar Heels a second returning starter at corner. Meanwhile, Dominiquie Green and Malik Simmons give UNC a pair of safeties with plenty of experience.

Special TeamsOn special teams, Nick Weiler will be the placekicker, despite converting just five of eight field goal attempts last year, while Joey Mangili figures to take over as the team’s punter. In the return game, Logan should handle most of the kickoff returns, while Switzer is a potential game changer as a punt returner.

RecruitingNorth Carolina nearly landed a top 25 recruiting class (CFP 26th), led by defensive end Jalen Dalton. Based out of the state of North Carolina, Dalton is the No. 1 ranked player in the state and No. 4 rated end in the nation,according to 247Sports. The class also includes a dual threat quarterback, Anthony Ratliff-Williams, who is another North Carolina native. As a high school senior, Ratliff-Williams garnered 1,783 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, over 1,200 rushing yards and 16 scores on the ground.

OutlookThe Tar Heels scored 33 points per game last year, and with 10 returning starters on offense, they could do even better this season, especially with a dynamic playmaker like Williams at quarterback. If the defense can show even modest improvement, North Carolina will have a golden opportunity to reach the ACC Championship Game in 2015.

Coach Larry Fedora:"Marquise is 230 pounds. He's a big, physical guy. He likes to run that way. You can't take that away from the kid. You can't ask him to be apprehensive. You can't ask him to be cautious. You got to let him play the game the way he loves playing the game. If you go back and look at last year, a lot of those runs weren't call runs for Marquise. Those were his decisions to run the football. I don't want to take that away from him. I want to have more production from the runningbacks which will take off a lot of the load from Marquise."Quarterback Marquise Williams:"Having all my offensive line return is big for me. Those guys got more experience. They know what it takes to be the best offensive line in the country. They will be the best offensive line in the country."